The NBA’s Most Improved Player award is often the one that generates the most crowded field of candidates. While there are only so many legitimate contenders in a given season for awards like Most Valuable Player and Rookie of the Year, there could be dozens of players who have decent cases for MIP consideration.
This season, however, oddsmakers believe there’s a clear-cut frontrunner for Most Improved Player honors — betting sites like Bovada.lv and BetOnline.ag have made Grizzlies guard Ja Morant the overwhelming favorite. If you want to place a wager at BetOnline on Morant to win the award, you have to risk $2,000 just to potentially win $100.
Morant has certainly taken a leap in his third NBA season. His scoring average has increased from 19.1 PPG to 27.5 PPG, and his shooting percentages have improved too, from .449/.303/.728 a year ago to .495/.346/.763 in 2021/22. The ascendant point guard has led the Grizzlies to a 45-22 record, the second-best mark in the NBA.
As ESPN’s Tim MacMahon and Tim Bontemps observed this week on The Hoop Collective podcast (video link), Morant has gone from missing the All-Star team in his first two seasons to becoming an All-NBA lock and a viable MVP candidate, which Bontemps calls “the hardest leap to make.” That’s why he looks like the safe bet to take home the Most Improved Player award this spring.
But is Morant a lock? Hornets forward Miles Bridges, Cavaliers guard Darius Garland, Spurs guard Dejounte Murray, Trail Blazers guard Anfernee Simons, and Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey are among the next-best candidates listed at Bovada and BetOnline.
Bridges’ shooting numbers have dipped a little this year with his increased usage rate, but he has increased his scoring average from 12.7 PPG to 19.8 PPG and is putting up career highs in almost every other key category.
Garland has put up 21.0 PPG and 8.2 APG with a .480 FG% (all career highs) while playing a crucial role in the Cavaliers’ unexpected turnaround, but he had already established a pretty impressive baseline (17.4 PPG, 6.1 APG, .451 FG%) in his sophomore season in 2020/21.
Murray has taken his game to another level in his sixth season, with 20.6 PPG, 9.4 APG, and 8.4 RPG (all career highs) to go along with an NBA-best 2.1 SPG. The Spurs’ 25-41 record may hurt his case, however.
None of these candidates has improved his scoring numbers more than Simons, who averaged 7.8 PPG last season and is up to 17.3 PPG in 2021/22, without a drop in efficiency. Simons has benefited from an increased role, but his per-minute numbers are also the best of his career.
Maxey, meanwhile, helped the Sixers remain in the playoff mix this season with Ben Simmons absent, with 17.4 PPG and 4.4 APG on .481/.419/.864 shooting after playing a limited role as a rookie. It’s worth noting though that some voters shy away from second-year players, since it’s considered a given that most will take a significant step forward.
What do you think? Is Morant a lock to win this year’s Most Improved Player award? Do you think Bridges, Garland, Murray, Simons, Maxey, or someone else has a stronger case?
Head to the comment section below to weigh in with your thoughts!
Among non-allstars and exclude final rookie year contracts
Who are the top 10 rookie contracts?
Final year rookie contract
Ayton
Luka
Young
Bridges
……
This has nothing to do with MIP, stop trying to hijack the discussion
Morant has been great but he was also a second overall pick that was expected to be this good. I think the MIP award should be for guys that kinda come out of nowhere and become really good, though I know that’s not necessarily how it works.
I agree with you, but Morant has been playing so well this season, on one of the best teams (by record) and he’s not going to win MVP, so he deserves some award.
Last year Julius Randle received MIP and he averaged damn near 20/10 the year before
Fair point. Randle really went backwards this year from a mental perspective, and he’s let that deep into his game performance. If Morant is indeed MIP, we can virtually guarantee he won’t be the headcase that Randle’s turned into.
Why only show some of there last year numbers? Why not have all the last year slash lines with the new ones just for apples to apples purposes? C’mon bruh
Let’s put it on the poll!
Only two teenagers will be in this year playoffs rotation
Kuminga and Moody
IMO, they are MIPS
Evan Mobley is almost 21 years old
It depends on how you define MIP
I would believe the award would be ineligible for people who are rookies.
This is one of your more nonsensical posts, which is impressive because most of your posts make no sense.
No dude, it all depends on how YOU define MIP.
You should probably just delete your account after making this comment.
Desmond Bane deserves it more than Ja
Ja by a mile. 1 minute more per game and 8 points more per game. Everyone else had significant minutes increase to attain their stats.
Yes Morant deserves MIP. By a mile though? I wouldn’t say that. There’s 2 other candidates in JJJ and Bane that deserve consideration in Memphis alone. Heck I’d say your boy Maxey is almost as deserving.
Their production is based on increased minutes tho. Which is why I think its Ja by a mile. He also is doing so while other guys around him are contributing it’s not like he is just a ball hog and getting his.
Truth is, all of these guys have been excellent. I’m a big fan of Maxey (not as MIP). Sixers got a good one.
I like Reynolds this year
Deandra, Frank or Dennis?
You know who I meant
Jerry “Ice” Reynolds? I have no idea who you’re talking about. I’m hoping it’s Sweet Dee tho, she’s my favorite
No love for Robert Williams?
In order: Bane, Maxey, Morant, Simons, Bridges, Garland, Murray.
The last 2 guys I expected this trajectory.
Bridges took a leap, but regressed. Simons was given the keys and making great strides. But the true game-changers who changed my complete thought process for who they are and will be are Bane, Maxey, and Morant. Morant was expected to be good, but not this great so that’s why I had him at 3.
No Herro?
Nope.
idk either. luke adams just wrote that he was a front runner too.
As noted in the post, the players I listed are currently considered the top six candidates by oddsmakers. As I also mentioned, there’s never a shortage of candidates for this award. Herro is part of the next tier listed at Bovada, along with Jarrett Allen and Desmond Bane.
For what it’s worth, Herro is definitely the frontrunner for Sixth Man of the Year.
Julius Randle
Hard to be Al and see RJ regress while Ja competes for MVP
that’s some great player development there from the Knicks
ya know RJ should receive some consideration. Herro, has been borderline but I expected this type of player. Improvement from last year but ge regressed last year so it’s a wash to me. Edwards should also get some consideration but on the lower side. Honestly, this should have DeAndre Aytons name all over it. With CP3 out, I was hoping he would ball out and get around 22-25 and 11-12.
RJ? Is he markedly better than last year? Being the best player on a depleted Knicks team does not instantly qualify you for the award. Too many other deserving guys.
Plenty of time for him to step up but not this year.
How about Jared Allen? Or Kevin Love? Is there a comeback player of the year, or is that basically what the most improved is? Reggie Jackson seems really improved also. I’ve watched games where he carried the clippers this year. Cousins is starting to make a late run at it also.
It’s gotta be Dejounte Murray, right?